Steven Lynch won the Wisden Cricket Monthly Christmas Quiz three years
running before the then-editor said "I can't let you win it again, but would
you like a job?" That lasted for 15 years, before he moved across to the
Wisden website when that was set up in 2000. Following the merger of the two
sites early in 2003 he was appointed as the global editor of Wisden
Cricinfo. In June 2005 he became the deputy editor of Wisden Cricketers'
Almanack. He continues to contribute the popular weekly "Ask Steven"
question-and-answer column on ESPNcricinfo, and edits the Wisden Guide to
International Cricket.

I heard that Jasprit Bumrah's hat-trick was only the third for India, and only the third in the West Indies. Is that right?asked Rahul Bhasin from India
Jasprit Bumrah's hat-trick in Kingston last Saturday was indeed the third for India in Tests, following Harbhajan Singh's against Australia in Kolkata in 2000-01, and Irfan Pathan's in the first over of the match against Pakistan in Karachi in 2005-06.

Of the 44 Test hat-tricks so far, there have been two others in the West Indies, both of them coming in Barbados: Jermaine Lawson took one for West Indies against Australia in Bridgetown in 2002-03, and Matthew Hoggard followed suit for England in Bridgetown in 2003-04.

Has anyone taken more innings to record their maiden Test fifty than Ishant Sharma?asked Mit Chowdhury from IndiaIshant Sharma's 57 in the first innings in Kingston was his maiden Test half-century, in his 126th innings. Only two others have needed a century of innings to reach 50: Glenn McGrath got there in his 115th knock for Australia (61 against New Zealand in Brisbane in 2004-05), but the record remains with England's Jimmy Anderson, who did not reach fifty until his 131st innings, finishing with 81 against India at Trent Bridge in 2014. His next-highest score, in 208 attempts, is 34.

What's the record for the most scores of 90-plus in a Test innings, and a match? Have there ever been two 99s in the same innings?asked Kerry McAllister from Australia
There have been 56 Test innings that contained two scores of between 90 and 99. Only one of those involved two 99s; for Pakistan against England in Karachi in 1972-73, Majid Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad both fell one short of hundred (Dennis Amiss also made 99 for England, making a record three in the match). At the other end of the scale there has also been one innings in which two people were out for 90 - VVS Laxman and Irfan Pathan for India against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2005-06.

The record for a Test is four nineties, which has happened twice: by New Zealand (Dipak Patel and John Wright, both 99) and England (Robin Smith 96, Allan Lamb 93) in Christchurch in 1991-92, and by England (Graeme Hick 96, Jack Russell 91, Mike Atherton 95) and West Indies (Richie Richardson 93) at The Oval in 1995 (Sherwin Campbell also made 89 for West Indies).

What was the highest score in the fourth innings of a Test by a batsman in a winning cause?asked T. Krishna Reddy from India
I'm guessing this one was inspired by Ben Stokes' remarkable display in that classic Test at Headingley last week. His 135 not out actually lies 17th on this particular list, although it's the third-best for England after Mark Butcher's 173 not out against Australia at Headingley in 2001, and Jack Brown's 140, also against Australia, in Melbourne in 1894-95.

Top of the list, and the only fourth-innings double-century in a winning cause, is Gordon Greenidge's unbeaten 214 against England at Lord's in 1984. In second and joint third (with Butcher) come two innings from the same match - Arthur Morris made 182 and Don Bradman 173 not out in Australia's last-day victory over England at Headingley in 1948. There have now been 75 fourth-innings centuries in successful chases in Tests.

To win at Headingley, England scored more than five times their first-innings total. Was this some sort of record?asked Tim Palmer from England
England's second innings of 362 for 9 at Headingley was 5.4 times as big as their paltry first effort of 67. But it turns out this is some way short of the Test record: at Edgbaston in 1924, South Africa made 390 in their second innings - 13 times as many as the 30 they had scraped together in the first.

I think the first-class record was also set at Edgbaston, in 1922. Hampshire were bowled out by Warwickshire for 15 in their first innings, but in the follow-on made 521 - nearly 35 times as many - before going on to win.